"...ruby necklace, and a few diamond rings." Brock mused as he and Wendy finished taking inventory of the jewelry Team Elegy had stolen. "That all of it?"

"I think so." Wendy replied. "After you took down the leader's Kricketune, they just turned tail and ran, dropping all this jewelry."

As Brock continued gathering up the many necklaces, he noticed Mizuchi perched upon a stool. "How'd you know I liked Officer Jenny too?"

[You were giving her that same dreamy look you gave Nurse Joy before.] Mizuchi explained. [And no proper gentleman gives a lady a look like that.]

Wait, Mizuchi sees me a proper gentleman? Brock was confused at the Vaporeon's observation for a moment. Considering my clothes, I probably look like one...

Then again, it goes back to Dad saying not to go nuts for girls... He winced at the thought of being sprayed every time he went gaga for a girl.

The jeweler giggled at the pained look on Brock's face. "I don't blame you for that look, carrying all that has to be pretty heavy." she assured Brock as she took the pile of jewelry from his hands. "Since you two were so brave to defeat those hooligans and get my jewelry back, I'll give you anything you want."

"Anything we want, huh?" Brock thought for a moment, piqued in the girl's offer. Free jewelry sounded very attractive, considering the many rings and necklaces he and Wendy had just returned. So did a meal at one of the many restaurants in town.

But something else weighed on his mind. What does this girl know about the legend of Giratina and Meloetta, if anything?

He sighed and told the girl "All I ask is some information about the story of how Meloetta sealed Giratina with eight powerful spellsongs."

"Oh?" The girl was interested. "What do you not understand about the story?"

"Specifically, I'm curious about the eight gems Meloetta sealed her spellsongs into." Brock continued. "Do they have names or titles, or something?"

The girl smiled. "You know that the eight Gems of Song were sealed in places well guarded by all manner of monsters and traps?"

"and that should someone make it to where a Gem is held, Meloetta will grant them the gift of singing magic." Brock added."

"The Gems correspond to the badges of Minami." the girl explained. "In order, they are the Fire Ruby, the Night Onyx, the Dragon Opal, the Storm Topaz, the Wise Garnet, the Steel Diamond, the Icy Sapphire, and the Gaia Emerald."

"Then, then--does that mean the Gym Leaders are the guardians of these gems?" Wendy asked.

"Not guardians per se, but the descendants of guardians from long ago." the girl replied. "That means that the negative energy of the Gym Leaders' emotions can weaken and break Giratina's seals. If all eight are broken, the world will be torn apart in Giratina's fury, unless someone who has been chosen by Meloetta and learned the spellsongs inside the gems can sing the spellsongs again. That's what my grandma told me when I was little."

Brock smiled. Of course--now it makes sense! "Of course, no one has ever ventured inside one of these places and returned alive--yet."

"That's right." the girl smiled. "If you want to see one of the places where one of the gems supposedly lies, the Tower of Runes stands on Route 50, just outside Honoru City."

"We were on our way to see that next." Brock grinned as he and Wendy turned to leave. "Thanks for the information."

"You're welcome--have a safe journey!" the girl called as she waved goodbye.

As Brock hurried to keep up with Wendy in the crowds, the thought never occurred to him that the story of Giratina and Meloetta, considered to be one of the most well known folktales in Minami, was in fact true--and he and Wendy had a role to play in it!